Structured and rather taut, with raspberry and loamy mineral aromas and complex dark plum, orange zest and black tea flavors that lead to fine tannins. Drink now through 2024. 91 cases made.??–TF??Region: Oregon / Willamette Valley / Chehalem Mountains Select to Add

Fresh and vibrant, bursting with currant, plum and boysenberry fruit, gently wrapped in sandy tannins. Remains lively, showcasing acidity and expressive flavors as the finish lingers. Drink now through 2022. 60 cases made.??–HS??Region: Oregon / Willamette Valley / Chehalem Mountains Select to Add

The 2012 Pinot Noir Quarter Mile Lane Vineyard comes from estate fruit in the Chehalem Mountains, the vines at 41 years old, some of the oldest in Oregon, the result of David Adelsheim's chance encounter with David Erath and subsequent search for their own vineyard. Their 2012 includes 20% whole cluster fruit and matured in 25% new French oak for ten months. There is a light marine influence on the nose, hints of oyster shell permeating the bright red berry fruit that remains linear and controlled. This does not want to give everything away too early. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of white pepper and spice notes infusing the red and black fruit, hints of salted licorice on the aftertaste. This is comparatively backward compared to Adelsheim's other 2012 and deserves two or three years in bottle.

From vines planted in 1974 on a one-care block of Adelsheim’s home vineyard, their 2011 Pinot Noir Quarter Mile Lane Vineyard displays a fascinating alliance of lift and genuine delicacy with palpably high extract and slightly austere inflections of cyanic cherry pit and wet stone. High-toned, fresh and distilled are red berries further mingled with smoky black tea; pungent brown spices; and mouthwateringly savory meat stock, leading to a lingering finish of that manages to at once invigorate and caress. I would look for this to perform admirably through at least 2017. Adelsheim winemaker David Paige maintains, “I instantly became a better winemaker when I finally let go of worrying about why it is that grapes from one site taste so different from those harvested elsewhere and focused instead on making the best wine out of them.” The occasion for his remark was a comparison of adjacent Quarter Mile Lane and Bryan Creek Vineyards, which were planted from the same Adelsheim mother block on soils and with exposures identical as nearly as their proprietor and his team let alone yours truly can tell. “Sure, we handle the fruit a bit differently now,” notes Paige, “but that’s in response to the differences we observe right off the vine.” Paige insists, though, that he is anything but a recipe winemaker even relative to a given vineyard or block. “I drive some of the people who work with me crazy I do so much tasting in the cellar, because what I suggest we do with this particular fermentor based on how it’s tasting today might be 180 degrees removed from what I thought we were going to want to do a day or two ago. But now I have more data.” (For a capsule history of this estate and details on its nowadays extensive vineyards, consult my issue 202 report.) Tel. (503) 538-3652

Polished and vibrant, with tangy cranberry overtones to the cherry flavors, offering hints of mint and spice as the expressive finish lingers easily and harmoniously. Drink now through 2018. 75 cases made.??–HS??Region: Oregon / Willamette Valley / Chehalem Mountains Select to Add